US Muslim group suspects communal hand in Delhi blasts

New York, Sep 14 (IANS) Indian Muslim Council-USA (IMC-USA), the largest advocacy group of Indian Muslims in the US, has denounced the bomb blasts in Delhi while suspecting that it could be the handiwork of communal forces bent upon polarising society in the run-up to the parliamentary polls next year.”IMC-USA condemns this heinous act of mindless violence by cowards. Our sympathies are with the victims and their families,” said Rasheed Ahmed, president of the advocacy group with 10 chapters across US dedicated towards safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos.

He added in the statement Saturday that increasing incidents of terrorism in the recent past with the general election around the corner raises suspicion of such blasts being orchestrated by communal forces bent on polarising the society to reap electoral gains.

“A thorough and transparent investigation should be made to bring the culprits to the book instead of rushing to hasty conclusions,” he said.

Urging the police to not ignore Kanpur bomb blasts in their investigations, the statement said three weeks ago, the police found a large stash of bomb-making materials including explosive powder, timers, batteries and pellets when two Bajrang Dal men were killed in Kanpur while manufacturing bombs.

“If the police exclude incidences like Kanpur and Nanded bomb blasts, in which Bajrang Dal militants were either killed or injured making bombs, it will amount to a wilful cover-up,” Ahmed said.

IMC-USA called upon the Indian government and police authorities to put the welfare and security of people ahead of communal politics and demonstrate political will in nabbing the perpetrators of the latest heinous crime in Delhi.

Preventing future acts of terror is possible only by conducting transparent and honest investigations to bring the culprits to book and not through indiscriminate arrests and brutalisation of young Muslims as reported by media, the statement read.

Following the recent blasts in Ahmedabad and Bangalore, the statement added, there has been an outcry by minorities and human rights activists that police officials were quick in scapegoating innocent Muslim youth than in seriously solving the growth of terror networks.